Three Bands representing South American Styles play Saturday Night at 8 PM at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Groups are Alma Andina, Los de Arriba and the Chico Chavez Orchestra. The event is called Sudaka. In a conversation with Phil Nusbaum, Vladimir Garrido of Alma Andina explains.

Rachel Kurtz has been singing her whole life and gets everything behind her performances. Catch Rachel and 5-piece band at the Icehouse next Wednesday, February 12 at 9PM. When Rachel talked with Phil Nusbaum, she talked about her life and her songs.

The Minneapolis Battle of the Jug Bands has gotten so big now that it straddles the Twin Cities in two venues. Saturday afternoon February 8 at the Minnesota Music Café in St Paul and Sunday afternoon February 9 at the Cabooze in Minneapolis. Phil Nusbaum talked to one of the organizers of the event, Kris Garwick. Kris also plays in a band that competes, the Fat Chance Jug Band.

He goes by Detroit Don King because Detroit is where he comes from. You can catch Don’s blues band at the Dubliner in St Paul, Saturday Feb 1 at 8pm. A few decades ago in his Detroit home, Don combined playing the blues with an auto parts business, but the business had trouble with crime. So Don and his wife decided to move elsewhere.

Kashimana writes from life. Her songs are about love, about letting your light shine and about the current scene. Catch Kashimana at Jazz Central Studios in Minneapolis, Thursday January 30 at 8PM. When Kashimana talked to Phil Nusbaum, he asked where her songwriting comes from.

Jesse Whitney creates music on an electronic device known as a synthesizer. His next show is at the Kit Kat Club in Minneapolis. In a conversation with Phil Nusbaum, Jesse told of his music creation and style, and also about the modular synthesizer.

The Delphia Cello Quartet performs Sunday night at the Aster in Minneapolis from 8 till 10. The quartet is managed by Julia Floberg who also is one of the cellists. As we open this report, the Delphia Cello Quartet is playing a J.S. Bach piece for a dance form known as a sarabond.

Ginger Commodore’s musical salute to Dr. Martin Luther King takes place at the Dakota in Minneapolis, Monday night January 20 at 7PM. It’ll be a party-like atmosphere at the Dakota, featuring a lot of music of the era of Dr King, much of which he really enjoyed. Ginger told Phil Nusbaum about it.

Fattenin’ Frogs references old country and old blues in its performances. And they perform Sunday January 19 at the Como Park Conservatory at 4:30 PM. Whether the songs are old or original, originality is key for Fattenin’ Frogs. Amanda White and Chris Holm of the band say that song arrangements evolve from the time they start working with them.

Three Great Groups that Combine Traditional Styles in New ways play at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Thurs January 16. They are Orange Mighty Trio, the OK Factor and Sprig of That. But why this interest in pushing the boundaries? Nick Gaudette of the Orange Mighty trio addressed just that in an interview with Phil Nusbaum.